On Both Your Houses
On Both Your Houses is the tenth episode of the Wing Commander Academy TV series. Plot Act 1 Geoffrey Tolwyn briefs the pilots on their new mission: Christopher Blair and his group will patrol the area of Greenhouse, the second planet of the system, which is rich in biodiversity and houses a Confederation bioresearch station, secret from the Kilrathi. He expresses the worry that the station may have been discovered, and destroyed. A trio of Scimitars - Maverick, Maniac and Archer - are approaching the planet, and are soon engaged by 3 Grikaths. Maverick and Archer continue their course and leave Maniac το happily throws himself into the fight. However he is soon overwhelmed and Archer comes to his aid. She gains a target lock but finds herself unable to fire. The Grikath begins to descend on the planet and the trio follow it as Archer excuses herself, claiming it was a firing system glitch. The Grikath evades the Scimitar fire as it enters the atmosphere and attempts to lose its pursuers in the magnetic storm. Indeed the magnetic interference makes difficult for Maverick to navigate. He tells Maniac to follow him and Archer to go around the storm, who also ensures them that the glitch won't happen again. The Grikath surprises the pilots but Maniac manages to loop to its rear. Ha manages a shot and at some point they cross with Archer's Scimitar with the Kilrathi pilot barely evades. Maverick launches a missile which hits the target and the Kilrathi ejects. The pilots descend in order to locate their adversary. Archer notes that the pod doesn't transmit any signal. Maverick suggests to fly towards to research station and seek help there. Meanwhile the Kilrathi pilot emerges from a foliage. The Scimitars land upon a ledge and the cadets are startled by Dr. Kevin Riviera who welcomes them to the station. Dr. Bronwyn Sing joins them, saying that they don't fear the Kilrathi. Maniac and Maverick enthusiastically introduce themselves to the attractive leader and tell the story about the Kilrathi pilot. Sing shows them robotic walkers used to collect specimens, that can be programmed to track the Kilrathi. She sends them and Number 3 to guest quarters. Maniac is more than eager to accept. Archer seems sceptical. As they leave, she tells Riveira to go and find the Kilrathi while she keeps the guests occupied. Act 2 That night there is an electrical storm. The cadets are having dinner with the station personnel. Inquired by Archer, Sing says that they conduct pharmaceutical research, thanks to the rich diversity of the planet. She is flanked by Maverick and Maniac who try to be friendly with her. Riveira says that life is busy so they don't have time to feel bored. Maniac goes to check the Scimitars under the storm, mumbling about Maverick who told him to do so. He is startled by Sing. She seems friendly and interested in learning about the fighters and suggests to put a robot to guard them. Maniac is eager to talk about himself and his ship, mentioning that they can't be stolen without a secret enabling code. The Kilrathi pilot, Rilg, is sitting near the eject pod and attempts to establish communication with a Kilrathi vessel. A robot approaches, and protrudes a tentacle against him. The next morning, Archer wakes up after a nightmare: she sees pursuing a Grikath which turns out to be Blizzard. Meanwhile Maverick and Maniac display a swimming contest in front of Sing. Archer approaches and is told that there has been no sign of the Kilrathi. They comment on the two competitive friends, and suggests that it is Sing who encourages them. Sing considers the Kilrathi War a terrible way for them to grow in, and wishes for another way to defeat the Kilrathi. The boys arrive and she exclaims it's a tie. Archer suggests to go and look for the Kilrathi pilot, but Sing dissuades them, saying that the robots are capable for this. She then offers to show Maverick her lab, making Maniac jealous. Archer and Maniac fly over the forest and they spot the Kilrathi's parachute. Maniac makes a loops and fires the forest to make a clearing for them to land. On their way, Archer seems angry with Sing, saying that she is playing Maverick and Maniac against each other. Maniac attributes this to her jealousy, and then mentions her earlier pretense about the glitch. After arguments, they split up. Meanwhile Sing shows Maniac around the lab. She also shows him the storage room. While mentioning the medicines they produce, she asks him whether they should use resources to something else. Discussing about politics, Maverick considers the possibility to make peace with the Kilrathi sometimes, as they are not more evil than humans have displayed through their history. He appends that not all pilots share those view, like Tolwyn. He receives a message from Archer who has located the pod but there is no sign of the pilot. Maverick tells Archer he is going to join her. While investigating she detects robotic prints on the ground and is soon assaulted by one. She destroys its cannon with her blaster, but then it releases a tentacle against her. Act 3 Archer evades the tentacle and runs away, but it captures her nonetheless. As she is drugged toward to the robot, she grasps and throws a rock in the pod, causing it to self-destruct, along with the robot which stood next to it. Maniac hears the explosion and runs towards her. She is freeing her leg from the remainder of the robotic tentacle. Back in the landing ledge, Archer complaints about the event. Sing dismisses her, saying that the robots "smell" molecular residue so they confused Archer for a Kilrathi, and throws away the tentacle. Archer responds that the robots must already have found the pilot, which Sing admits. Inside the storage room, Rilgh is tied on a bed unconscious. Sing explains that σhe didn't notify the earlier as the pilots would arrest him, and she needs a Kilrathi for her experiments. She asks him time until next morning, and she will find a way to stop the war. She gives her word that he won't be harmed. At night, Archer arms herself and exits her quarters. She finds Sing liberating Rilgh telling him that the war will be over. She orders the robot to attack Archer while Rilgh runs away. Archer however incapacitates the robot and comes hand to hand with Sing. Maniac and Maverick show up requesting an explanation from Archer. Sing stands and explains that the war is not a game that can be won with rules. It's a competition between two species and only one will survive. She tells Maverick that she infected Rilgh with a lethal plague virus they discovered on the planet. By letting him free, the virus will spread and reach Kilrah. Archer notes that biological warfare is outlawed by the Terran Confederation. They realise that the pilot will leave the planet on Maniac's Scimitar, as she gave his code to Sing. Maverick leaves and Maniac stays with Sing. Rilgh activates Maniac's Scimitar. He also activates a ventral turret which destroys Maverick's and hinders him and Archer who come after him. Archer boards her and flies after him. She contacts Rilgh explaining Sing's plans, but he does not believe her. Archer can't let him go back and launches a missile, which destroys the Scimitar. She flies through the flying debris trying to persuade herself that she saved lives. Trivia *This episode establishes several new information about the Scimitar, such as the enabling codes, the ventral turret (seen nowhere else). *It is one of the few times we see an activated VDU, when Archer establishes a lock on Rilgh. In the game, the locking tracker is displayed on the viewscreen. *There is no ship cameo in this episode. Only Blizzard's Broadsword in Archer's flashback. 10